Printing material transfer device



July 9, 1968 D. .1. LYNCH 3,

PRINTING MATERIAL TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1.\\ 'E.\"TL)R.

DAVID J. LYNCH A 7'TORNE X D. J. LYNCH July 9, 1968 PRINTING MATERIAL TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1966 A TTORNEX United States Patent M 3,391,938 PRINTING MATERIAL TRANSFER DEViCE David .I. Lynch, 121 King St, Malverne, N.Y. 11565 Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 528,308 9 Claims. (Cl. 276-37) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A holder and method for handling printing material wherein the holder has a bottom wall for supporting the printing material in the holder, and to enable the removal of the bottom wall so access to the bottom of the printing material is afforded.

This invention relates generally to a device or holder for transferring printing material between a type-making device and a stamp holder.

The present invention has particular application for use in conjunction with the apparatus disclosed in my United States Patent No. 3,118,680, issued on Jan. 21 1964. This patent discloses a device for assembling printing material from individual type elements to form printing matter in accordance with the desires of the user. In normal use the particular pieces of type elements forming the printing material, once assembled, are placed in a temporary holder and, after it or they have served their purpose, they are discarded.

Accordingly, the desideratum of the present invention is to provide a holder for quickly and easily transferring individual pieces of printing material or type between a device which severs and assembles the pieces and a handle to which they are to be affixed.

Other objects and features of the present invention reside in the novel details of construction which provide a holder for pieces of type of printing material which automatically positions them for atfixation to a handle simply by inverting the holder.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder of the type described which is simple to produce, economical to manufacture and which is easy to operate.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention, the holder includes a frame having a slot which is provided with a removable bottom wall. The pieces of type of the printing material are inserted into the slot and are supported temporarily by the bottom wall. Means are provided for maintaining the printing material in the slot when the holder is inverted. Accordingly, when the holder is then inverted and the bottom wall is removed, access is provided to the rear of the printing material. A handle having an adhesive on the face thereof is inserted into the slot. Thereafter, the handle i withdrawn from the holder with the printing material affixed thereto.

Other and further objects of this invention reside in the structures and arrangements hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the type transfer device for holder constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in its operative position when attached to a type making device,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the holder and the type making device, with parts thereof broken away and showing the type elements comprising the printing material received in the holder and supported by the removable bottom wall thereof,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder shown in inverted position with the bottom wall partially removed to allow access to the rear surface of the printing material,

FIG. 4 is an end view of the holder,

3,391,938 Patented July 9, 1958 FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holder inverted and with parts broken away, showing the handle inserted therein to receive the strip of printing material to be afiixed thereon, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handle shown in FIG. 5, illustrating the type elements forming a strip of printing material aflixed to the face of the handle.

The holder or type transfer device of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 14} and is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with a print-severing apparatus generally identified by the numeral 12, alternatively referred to as a print-making device, of the type described in my above-mentioned patent. To facilitate an understanding and appreciation of the holder 16, portions of the print-severing apparatus 12 will be described. However, if more information on this apparatus is desired, the reader is referred to my aforementioned patent.

The device 12 includes a platform 14 mounting a support 16. lvfovably received on the support 16 is a block 18 having a track 20 in its upper surface. The track 20 is adapted to receive a strip of type 22 comprised of a plurality of integral but severable individual type elements 24; the strips 22 having opposed laterally extending flanges 26 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) which are spaced below the upper or printing surface of the strip. The flanges 26 are adapted to be slidably received in the track 20 to position the strip of type 22 below a knife 28.

A number of strips of type 22 are provided and each strip has a different indicia marking on the upper surface thereof. For example, twenty-six strips 22 may be provided wherein each strip of type is adapted to print a different letter of the alphabet. That is, one strip 22 may comprise type elements 24 which are adapted to print the letter A While another strip of type may comprise elements 24 which are adapted to print the letter B, and so on. Mounted on one end of the block are pins 30 and 32 that extend laterally forwardly from the block 18. One pin, namely, the pin 32 is of larger diameter than the pin 30. The block 18 is movable toward and away from the knife 28 by the operation of a lever 34 and it is provided with a slot 36 which extends below the track 20. The slot 36 is adapted to receive the knife edge 28 therein.

When it is desired to form a strip of printing material composed of several type elements, the strip of type 22 having the desired letter or type element is inserted into the track 20 and it is positioned so that the desired number of type elements 24 extend forwardly of the knife 28. The lever 34 is then operated to raise the block 18 relative to the knife 28 until the knife edge 28 enters the slot 36 in the block 18 and severs the required type element 24 from the remainder of the strip of type 22.

For example, to form the word FIRST, the strip of type 22 comprised of the type elements F is inserted into the track 20 and one type element 24 is severed therefrom. Next, the strip of type comprised of the type element I is inserted into the track 20 and a type element 24 is severed therefrom. This procedure is continued until each desired element of type is sequentially severed from its respective strip 22. These severed type elements are now ready to be moved into the holder or device 10 to be described.

The holder 10 includes a substantially elongated body or frame 38. Left-hand portion 40 of the frame 38, as taken in FIG. 1, is substantially greater in height than the remainder of the frame 38 and it is provided with circular bores 42 and 44 (FIG. 4). The diameter of the bore 44 is substantially greater than the diameter of the bore 42. The bores 42 and 44 are sized and positioned to respectively receive the pins 30 and 32 therein to connect the holder 10 in alignment with the print-severing or print-making device 12. Because the pin 32 is dimensioned so that it will fit only within the bore 44, the holder 10 must always be connected to the printsevering device 12 in the orientation shown in FIGS- 1 and 2.

Provided in the frame 38 and extending from the top to the bottom thereof is a slot 46 that has a removable false bottom wall 48. More particularly, the false bottom wall 48 is slidably received in a track 50 which extends the length of the frame 38 and is positioned intermediate the top and bottom of the slot 46. Thus, by sliding the wall 48 relative to the frame 38, passage or access through the slot 46 may be opened or closed. The front end of the slot 46 (i.e., the portion of the slot 46 is juxtaposition to the track 20) is open to receive the type elements 24 as they are severed from their strips 22, whereas the opposite end of the slot 46 is closed by a transverse stop member 52. Additionally, the width of the slot 46 is slightly greater than the width across the flanges 26 so the severed elements 24 may slide easily from the track 20 and into the aligned slot 46, the base of which is temporarily closed by the false bottom wall 48. Provided at the top of the slot 46 are laterally spaced projections 54 and 56 which extend toward each other and which are adapted to overlie the flanges 26 on the elements 24. In practice, the space between the projections 54 and 56 is slightly greater than the width of the upper type surface of the elements 24. The distance between the bottom wall 48 and the bottom surfaces of the projections 54 and 56 is slightly greater than the height of the flanges 26 so that the elements 24 are slidably received in the slot 46.

In operation, the holder 10 is connected to the printsevering or print-making device 12 in the manner noted above so that the pins 30 and 32 are received in the respective bores 42 and 44. The front end of the slot 46 is positioned so that it is aligned with the track 20 in the block 18. The false bottom wall 48 is moved into the track 50 toward the block 18 until it abuts the same thereby to cover the open bottom of the slot 46. The strips of type 22 having the desired type elements 24 thereon are then inserted into the track 20 and the elements 24 are severed from the strips 22 in the manner noted above and described more fully in my aforementioned patent. After a type element 24 has been severed, it is moved into the slot 46 in the holder 10.

When a complete strip of type elements 24 forming the composite printing material 27 has been assembled, the strip 27 is moved to the opposite end of the slot 46 so that the first type element 24 of the strip 27 abuts the tarnsverse stop member 52. Thereafter, the holder 10 is separated or disconnected from the print-severing device 12. It is then inverted as shown in FIG. 3. Since the projections 54 and 56 overlie the flanges 26 on each of the type elements 24, the type elements will be retained and tracked in the holder. The false bottom wall 48 is then removed from the track 50 to provide access to the rear, and now exposed surfaces of the elements 24 through the open bottom of the slot 46.

A handle, designated generally by the numeral 58 in FIGS. and 6, is provided to receive the strip of printing material 27 thereon. More particularly, the handle 58 is provided with a substantially flat face 60 and side edges 62. The side edges 62 extend rearwardly from the face 60 and comprise a fiat portion adjacent the face 60 and irregular finger-shaped portions therebeyond to facilitate grasping of the handle. A continuous head 64 extends upwardly and downwardly beyond the respective upper and lower surfaces of the handle to add to the structural rigidity of the handle. A tape 66 having an adhesive on both sides thereof, is afiixed to the face 60 and to a portion of the flat surfaces of the side edges 62. The handle face 60 is sized to fit within the slot 46.

Accordingly, when it is desired to afiix the strip of printing material 27 to the handle 58, the face 60 and the Hat sides 62 are covered with the double-sided adhesive tape 66. The handle 53 is then inserted through the bottom of the slot 46 until the face 60, having the tape 66 thereon, engages the exposed bottom surfaces of the elements 24 forming the strip 27. A slight pressure is thereupon applied to the handle so that the elements 24 are affixed to the adhesive on the tape 66. The handle 58 is then withdrawn from the holder with the strip of printing material 27 afiixed thereto, as shown in FIG. 6. The handle may then be used in the conventional manner to stamp the printed matter formed by the strip 27 on any desired objects. If it is desired to use the handle again at some later date to afix another strip of printing material thereto, the tape 66 is separated from the flat side edges 62 and the face of the handle 58 as by peeling the same off the handle and it is then discarded. A new section of tape 66 may then be applied to the handle so that a new strip of printing material may be aflixed to'the handle in the same manner disclosed above.

Accordingly, a type or printing material transfer device or holder has been provided for transferring strips of printing material between a print-severing device and a handle which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture and which is easy to operate.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, there-fore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A holder for receiving printing material from a print-making device having guide means for the printing material, said holder comprising an elongated frame having a top and a bottom,

an open-ended slot in said frame for slidably receiving the printing material therein, said slot opening along lengthwise portions of the top and bottom of said frame to provide access to said slot at the top and bottom portions of said frame, a member removably received in said frame to provide a removable bottom Wall for said slot for supporting the printing material spaced from the bottom of said frame, and engaging means on said frame adapted to engage the printing material to maintain the same within said slot when said frame is inverted.

2. A holder as in claim 1,

and means for releasably connecting said frame with the print-making device and for aligning said frame in a printing material receiving position with respect to said guide means to facilitate the insertion of the printing material into an end of said open ended slot.

3. A holder according to claim 1,

and one end wall for closing an end of said open ended slot to provide a stop for the printing material slidably received therein.

4. A holder according to claim 1,

and a track for slidably receiving said bottom wall member therein, whereby said bottom wall member may be movedin said track in relation to said frame to selectively remove the bottom wall from said slot so the printing material is maintained within said slot by engagement with said engaging means and access thereto through said slot opening along the lengthwise portions of the top and bottom of said frame.

5. A method for afiixing printing material to a handle comprising preparing a strip of printing material,

providing a holder with an open-bottomed slot to receive said strip of material,

covering the bottom of said slot prior to the insertion of said printing material,

inserting the printing material in said slot,

inverting said holder,

opening the bottom of said slot after the holder is inverted,

inserting a handle having an adhesive on the face thereof through the slot to afiix the printing material to the handle,

and withdrawing the handle with the printing material afiixed thereto.

6. The method of claim 5,

and covering the face of said handle with a double-sided adhesive tape prior to inserting the handle through said slot.

7. The method according to claim 5,

including the step of moving the printing material to the end of the slot in said holder prior to inverting said holder.

8. A printing transfer device including a slot defined in said device having a top and a bottom opening,

a bottom wall insertable into said device between said top and bottom openings to define a false bottom for said slot and spaced from the bottom opening of said device,

said slot providing a guide for the reception of printing material therein, the printing material being slidably supportable on said false bottom,

and said false bottom being removable from said slot to leave said slot open at the bottom of said device and to provide access to one surface of the printing material through said bottom of said device and the bottom opening of said slot.

9. A printing material transfer device as in claim 8,

and a handle having a fiat face,

adhesive means on said fiat face adapted to adhere to the one surface of the printing material, said handle having a width smaller than the width of said slot at the bottom opening of said device, whereby said handle may be inserted through said bottom opening of said device and of said slot to receive the printing material thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,083,711 1/1914 Trundle 101-381 1,570,217 1/1926 Green 27637 1,731,651 10/1929 Denhof 101381 3,118,680 1/1964 Lynch 276-37 3,315,601 4/1967 Borack 101368 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. 

